Is Waitrose herb falafels ultra-processed?

200g Falafels Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E450 Diphosphates

19 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed falafels

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Onion, broad beans, chickpeas 18%, rapeseed oil, gram flour, coriander, parsley, garlic purée, red chilli purée, cumin, mint, coriander, black pepper, raising agents (disodium diphosphate (ultra-processing marker), sodium bicarbonate), concentrated lemon juice, sea salt (processing marker), rice flour

Additives: E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Onion, broad beans, chickpeas (18%), rapeseed oil, gram flour, coriander, parsley, garlic purée, red chilli purée, ground cumin, mint, ground coriander, ground black pepper, raising agents (disodium diphosphate, sodium bicarbonate), concentrated lemon juice, sea salt, rice flour

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.

2 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 45 falafels

From least to most processed, this one ranks 35th. 42% of the falafels here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 45 falafels, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000169602201, last edited 1 June 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.